I am a Teenage Outlaw
by ZebbieCullen
Summary: Marian and Robin aren't talking, Allan's in love with his best friend, Will befriends the new girl and Guy and Vaysey are just annoying. Fist fights, food fights, fire extinguisher fights, parties, sex ed projects, and that's all in the first few chapters
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is yet another response to my friend Lady Clark of Books challenge, which is: This is completely AU! the outlaws are normal hormonal teenagers and so are gisbourne and the Sheriff! They go to a normal secondary school and get into loads of fights and arguements. Can include Eve, Alice and any other character you wish. MUST be Robin/Marian and Will/Djaq, but not straight away._

_Disclaimer: All the character's (with the exception of the OC) belong to the BBC._

_Parings: Robin/Marian, Will/Djaq, Allan/OC, and maybe Much/Eve._

_Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!_

Robin Locksley ran a hand through his hair as he ripped open yet another brown box, looking for his shoes. It was only his second week back in Nottinghamshire and he had yet to unpack most of his belongings. He was thrilled to be back and away from the noise and pollution that was the city of London. His father had been offered a promotion a year ago at work that required them to move. Robin had protested, saying that he had exams coming up that he needed to study for. His mother had just laughed in his face; knowing full well that her son never even so much as _looked_ at a book unless he absolutely had to. So a month later they shoved everything they owned into cardboard boxes and moved to the city.

_Blink182's _'What's My Age Again' started to play in the direction of his bed. He fumbled around for the jeans he was wearing the previous night and looked at the caller ID on his mobile. It read Much Miller. Grinning to himself he flipped the screen up and pressed it to his ear.

"'Lo?"

"Robin, where are you?" the slightly paranoid and familiar tone in Much's voice made his smile grow. "The bus will be here in a minute."

"Just trying to find my shoes," Robin said casually.

He heard his friend sigh. "Your shoes? Just hurry up! I don't want to be the one to have to explain to Mr Van-Royan that you missed the bus on your first day back."

Robin snapped his phone shut; he had missed Much's constant complaints. He finally found his shoes in the very bottom of the last box he looked in, and grabbed his hoodie that had earned him the nickname of Robin Hood. As was the morning tradition his mother was waiting by the front door with a mug of coffee in her hand. He gratefully took it and left the house.

---

Allan-A-Dale smiled to himself in the mirror as he ran a bit of gel through his scruffy brown hair. He was still on autopilot, having only woken up twenty minutes ago from the banging on his door and the loud voice ordering him to get up. He'd rolled out of bed and found a shirt on the floor that looked vaguely clean and had yanked it over his head. His school uniform consisted of a ghastly green jumper, a green and silver tie, a white shirt and black trousers for boys and an apple green blouse and grey skirt for girls. Allan rubbed at the sleep in his electric blue eyes and walked-slash-tripped down the stairs.

His younger brother Tom was already eating breakfast in the kitchen, his eyes focused on the cereal box in front of him. Allan walked over to the fridge and found a carton of milk, taking a swig from it. He felt the all too familiar slap of his mother's hand to his head and nearly choked milk all over the floor.

"For God sake Allan, get a glass," she said, walking past him to pop a slice of bread in the toaster.

Allan gave a cheeky salute behind her back as he put the milk away. Jack chuckled and shook his head. Jack was his stepfather, and his brother's biological father. His mother had gotton pregnant from a one-night stand almost fifteen years ago and he was the result. Jack was the closest thing he had to father. They didn't always get along, but which kid had the perfect relationship with their parents anyway?

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house. Swinging his backpack over his right shoulder, Allan sauntered off to answer it. Annabelle Browne stood waiting outside, leaning against the wall. He gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement before grabbing his jacket and slamming the door shut behind him.

"Morning," he mumbled, the cold winter air turning his breath white.

"Morning yourself," Annabelle smiled. "Good weekend?"

Allan shrugged. "Average, I guess. I was up all night finishing that English essay Mrs Rowling set us."

Annabelle rolled her eyes. Trust to Allan to leave it to the last minute. Although she supposed it was an improvement. The last time they had a major project due in, she had found him sitting in the library scribbling furiously at a piece of paper ten minutes before fourth period – the deadline.

"I'm exhausted," he said, resting his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes as they waited for the bus to arrive.

The faint scent of cologne filled her senses. He wore just the right amount, unlike Guy Gisborne, who wore so much it nearly made her eyes water every time she walked past him. "Poor baby," she mocked.

---

Will Scarlet cursed violently as he heard the glass smash. He gently picked the photo frame up and surveyed the damage. There was a slight crack through the middle, but nothing that he couldn't fix. He slowly ran a thumb over his mother's face and sighed. The picture was taken a few months before she had been taken ill, on Will's fourteenth birthday last August. She was currently in hospital, where she spent most of her time, being pumped full of drugs. They helped to ease the pain, but they made her…slightly out of it. There was even one time they made her forget who Will was. It had nearly broken his heart.

His father Dan had lost a hand in an accident in his workshop a few ago and was finding it difficult to manage the house alone. Will did what he could to help, especially with his younger brother, who had begun acting out. He was in the same year as his friend's brother, Tom. Luke was a bright kid, but when his mother was admitted to hospital, his grades started to slip and he started dating the Year Eight bad girl, Davina Vaysey, whose older brother thought it fun to torment Will and his friends at every opportunity he got. Luke's behaviour was understandable – there were times when Will just wanted to scream as loud as he could or hit something – but it sure was irritating.

He knocked on Luke's bedroom door to tell him to get a move on, but received a "Sod off!" in reply. Deciding that he could be bothered, Will pocketed his house keys, waved his Dad off and left for school.

---

Marian Fitzwalter shivered against the cold, hugging her coat closer to her. Her tights were thin and did nothing to protect her legs against the fierce winter wind. Her hair hung below her shoulders in dark brown locks to keep her ears from freezing off.

"I hope you're feeling better," she heard a deep voice say from behind her. She turned around to become eye level with Guy Gisborne's broad chest. She took a step back and tilted her chin up to look at his face.

"Beg pardon?" she asked.

Guy gave her a small smile - something that wasn't seen very often. "You told me you weren't feeling well on Saturday."

"Oh," Marian said, suddenly feeling quite grateful that the cold had turned her nose red and sore. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks."

Guy had invited her out to see a movie with him, but she had declined, faking a headache. If he had asked her a few days earlier she probably would have said yes. But she had seen the car in the driveway. She knew that _he_ was back and every bad memory came flooding along with him.

As if on cue, she heard the unmistakable, albeit slightly cocky, sound of his voice. "I forgot how cold it gets up here."

"Well look who it is," she heard Allan say, a mocking tone to his voice. "It's the city chav."

She turned around to see Robin receiving slaps on the bad and guy hugs from his friends. She took a moment for her pale blue eyes to drink him in. He didn't look much different from the last time she had seen him. He was taller – definitely taller. He had to be nearing six-foot. His hair was slightly longer and hung over his crystal blue eyes in golden brown locks. He caught her eyes for a brief second before she looked away. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him mumble something to John Little, who shook his head.

She and Robin had dated for about five months. Then one day he announced that he was moving to London the following day and that he didn't know when he would be back, if at all. Marian remembered feeling her heart crack with every word he had said. She was angry that he hadn't told her before hand and even angrier that he was going away. So she had blocked his number of her mobile and his e-mail address online. She didn't want to speak to someone who obviously felt she couldn't be trusted with a secret.

She heard the bus pull up – late as always – and climbed on, flashing her freedom bus pass to the driver, who just nodded. She took a seat next to the window and was quickly joined by Eve, one of her childhood friends. Guy sat down in front of her and tried to make small talk, while his friend Vaysey pulled faces at him behind his back. Marian watched as Robin, Much, Allan, Will, John and Annabelle all walked to the back of the bus, taking their usual seats. She was vaguely aware of Guy asking her a question, but she suddenly wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

_Well, is it any good, or should I just delete it now? The Gang's uniform is based on my own hideous one. Let me know what you thought._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks for all the reviews for the first chapter! I'm not as happy with this one as I was with the last - it's basically sorting out everyone's crushes and creating tension. Same A/N as the last chapter, and for those who were wondering about Mrs Rowling, she's actually MY English teacher. Let me know what you think!_

Saffiya walked down the corridors, clutching her time table to her chest. Eventually she came to a door that read W12.

She and her farther had moved to England little under a month ago. Her parents had just been through a painful divorce that had lasted years. She couldn't count the number of times she had been woken at night to the sound of them arguing in the room below hers. Her brother had told her that everything would turn out okay, but he was back in Jerusalem, living with their mother. Saffi hated her for splitting herself and Djaq up. Didn't they know that twins weren't meant to be separated?

She absently fiddled with the ends of her hair, the way she always did when she was nervous or upset. Right now, she was both. She didn't want to start at a new school in a new country where she didn't know anyone and wasn't that comfortable with the language. She felt out of place and once again longed for her brother. Although she supposed the absence of Djaq would force her to talk to people that she wouldn't usually and make friends.

She knocked on the door and waited for confirmation before entering. A tall, thin man stood at the front of the class. The students obviously weren't listening to what the man was saying, but he didn't seem to notice.

A paper airplane hit her square in the forehead and fell to the floor in front of her. At the back of the room she saw a boy with shaggy brown hair sniggering at her and another with straight jet-black looking rather smug. And wait, was he wearing…make-up?

"Ah," the man said, clasping his hands together. "My name is Mr Hare. You must be our new student all the way from the Middle East. Do you want to tell us a bit about yourself."

The answer was no, she didn't. But instead of saying that she shuffled to the front of the room, avoiding everyone's eyes. "Erm, my name is Saffiya."

"Pleasure to meet you, Saffiya," Mr Hare said, giving her a slight nod. "How long have you lived in England?"

Saffi gave a small shrug. "About a month."

"Do you like it?"

She inwardly sighed. What was this, an interrogation? "I guess," she said, although it was more a question than a statement.

Mr Hare didn't seem to notice though. Instead, he turned to face his class, his eyes moving from student to student. "Ah, Will, you're responsible, can I trust you to show Saffiya around? Just until she gets her bearings?"

She watched as a boy nodded, locks of dark hair falling over his eyes as he did so. Awkwardly, Saffiya walked over and took the seat next to him, stepping over another kid's leg that was trying to trip her up as she did so. She hated being the new girl.

---

Robin spied Marian at the other end of the classroom. She was sitting a seat away from Guy, who was chatting away to her idly, but Robin was too far away to pick up their conversation. He had seen her talking to him on the bus as well. He glared at Gisborne. If he dared to try anything with his girl there would be trouble.

Then he remembered that she was no longer his girl. They had broken up before he left. He remembered the pained look on her pretty face as she handed him back the necklace he had given her for her fourteenth birthday last year. He almost smiled to himself. Never would he have pictured himself doing something so sappy as giving a girl a necklace, but Marian was something else. She just didn't compare to any other girl out there.

He hadn't meant to hurt her – or any other of his friends – he had tried to pretend that the whole thing wasn't happening, hoping it would make it go away. But it didn't and he still ended up moving. When he tired to explain to her why he didn't tell her sooner she hung up on him until she blocked his number. Now that he was back he was determined to make amends.

Mr Hare began to explain quadratic equations in his monotone voice; Robin's brain just shut off. He shifted in his seat; he had the feeling of being watched, but when he looked around he saw that everyone's eyes were glazed over or staring off into space.

He tried again to talk to Marian after class. He missed her gentle voice and touch, and the loving vibe she gave off. He looked up to find Alice and Eve blocking his way.

He sighed, watching Marian walking away. "Excuse me, ladies."

Alice shook her head firmly. "She said she doesn't want to talk to you, Rob."

He stared at them, not quite believe what he was hearing. How could she forgive him if he wasn't able to explain or ask her to take him back? He told them as much.

Eve just shrugged apologetically. That was the thing with girls - they stuck together. "Not our problem."

"Whatever," Robin scoffed, walking off to join Much, who he could see was eyeing Eve up behind her back. The poor guy was clueless. He just didn't understand that you actually had to go up and talk to a girl in order to ask her out.

---

Much took the seat behind Eve and rested his chin on his hand. He watched as she tossed her long light brown hair behind her shoulder and touched up on her make-up. He sighed loudly and heard Allan chuckle beside him.

"Mate, you have it bad," he said, nudging Much in the ribs.

"So do you," Much said, pointing to the mousy haired girl taking idly to Will.

Allan narrowed his eyes. "If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times, Annabelle is my friend."

"And Eve is mine," argued Much, keeping his voice down.

"I'm not being funny, but I doubt you've ever said more than three words to her at a time," Allan smiled as he was hit in the arm by Much's chemistry text book. "A friendship means communication, not admiration from afar."

"Big words," Much muttered sarcastically.

Allan shook his head, his smile growing. He and Much bickered like siblings, but deep down they cared. And he knew his friend had a point. About Annabelle anyway, but he tried not to think about it. She was his best friend after all. If she ever found out he liked her in that way things would never be the same between them.

---

Will sent a glare in Guy and Vaysey's direction, receiving a cross-eyed look from Vaysey in return. He sent a warm smile in Saffiya's direction. She'd only been at this school a few hours and already the terrible twosome – as Allan had dubbed them – were making her life as hard as possible.

"Just ignore them," he told her.

She nodded. Will gave her a quick once over with his light green orbs. She looked nice, albeit slightly nervous and a bit out of place with her olive skin. Her dark hair was brushing against her shoulders, her warm dark eyes skimming the textbook in front of her. She was pretty with seemingly minimum amount of effort.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Luke being escorted to the Headmaster's office by a sixth former. He sighed and shook his head. He knew his brother was only doing it for attention, but there just wasn't any available. Everyone was so focused on his mother at the moment. Will didn't know what he'd do if he ever lost her.

---

Saffiya felt a wave of tension suddenly radiate from the boy next to her. She looked over at him and followed his line of sight to the door. A scruffy dark haired kid no more than twelve or thirteen was being escorted down the corridor. He had the same dark hair as Will had; she guessed it was his brother.

She mentally sighed and thought of her own brother. She missed Djaq, but she knew that there were better opportunities and safety in England – especially for women. Her father also earned a lot more money than he did back in Jerusalem.

She watched as Will focused on the textbook, his green eyes never leaving the page. She noticed that they were filled with pain and responsibility beyond his years. They were warm yet cold at the same time. She got the feeling that he carried great emotion and hurt, although he disguised it well. She was good at reading people like that.

"The answer is A," she said quietly, pointing to it in the book.

Will snapped out of his train of thought. "Oh. Yeah. Are you sure?" he asked, rereading the question on the respiratory circulation.

Saffi nodded. "My father is a doctor. I help him with patients sometimes."

He didn't say anything for a moment, absorbing the information and pondering his next words. "Is that what you want to do?"

She nodded again. "I want to heal people."

"I'm Will, by the way."

"Saffiya."

Will smiled a rare genuine smile - she got the feeling it didn't happen very often. He wasn't a loud person, he preferred to keep his thoughts to himself. He was amazed at how easy he found talking to Saffiya was. "What do you think of England?"

She thought about it for a moment, wondering where to start. "It's…different, from what I'm used to."

"You get used to it. And don't worry – the weather will grow on you."

---

Guy caught Marian in the lunch line later that day. Now that she had recovered she'd be free to go out with him. He noticed the somewhat sour look on her face and turned around to see Robin Hood walk into the room. He knew that he and Marian had dated, but then he abandoned her, so Guy had moved in, providing a shoulder for her to cry on.

"Are you free tonight, Marian?" he asked, shifting weight from one foot to another.

She forced a fake smile onto her face, but he didn't seem to notice. "I think so. Why? What did you have in mind?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come round to my place and watch a movie?"

"I'd love to."

Out of the corner of his eye, Guy saw Hood flinch. The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. He wasn't happy that Hood was back, forcing his way into Guy's territory (and Marian was definitely Guy's territory). He was glad that it seemed she'd finally gotten over him. "I'll meet you by the front gates after school?"

She nodded, picking up a tray of food. "I'll see you then."

She gave him a small smiled and walked away, putting slightly more swing than usual in her hips as she passed Robin's table.

_TBC - Next chapter: Marian's date and what Robin does about it..._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I forgot to mention, but the main characters are all about fifteen in this fic, and Annabelle is a member of Robin's Gang for the sake of the plot. Big thanks to Lady Clark of Books, Paula545, RocMySox, KeepingAmused and LittleMissSparkles for reviewing the last chapter!_

Robin paced across his room, his hands behind his back, his head lowered slightly. John's eyes followed him as he walked from one side of the room to the other. No one said anything, each in his or her own thoughts, waiting for Robin to speak.

He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up at odd ends. He couldn't believe that Marian had agreed to go on a date with Guy Gisborne, but she wouldn't so much as _talk_ to him. Guy wore make-up for crying out loud – or Guy liner, as Allan had dubbed it.

"I'm not being funny, mate," Allan said, the familiar mocking tone back in his voice. "But you're about to pace a hole in the floor. Keep it up and you'll fall right through it."

"What does she see in Guy?" Robin snapped at him, unable to comprehend the situation.

"You were gone a long time, Robin," said Will, leaning against the wall. He wasn't one to voice his opinions often, so when he did, it was a good idea to listen. He was filled with wisdom beyond his years. "Things change."

Annabelle and Much both thought that Robin was overreacting, but decided to stay quiet. They both knew that the best thing to do was to let him rant it all out. "She's only doing it to make me jealous!"

John sighed. "And look, it's working."

"Besides," said Allan. "Marian's a girl. They hold onto small things for years and will suddenly bring them up at the most random and inappropriate of times."

Annabelle sent him a glare, but he just shrugged. She got a sinking feeling in her stomach as she noticed Allan's electric blue eyes light up. The last time he got that glint in his eye she had ended up with green hair for a week. He had ended up justifying his actions with, "It matches your uniform…"

"You know, Robin," he began, ignoring Much as he rolled his eyes. "You could sit here for the rest of the night and feel depressed, or, we could spy on them."

Robin nodded slowly, a small grin appearing on his boyish face. It felt good to be back with his Gang. In London he had been picked on for his slight northern accent and his use of language, i.e., not saying 'boi, or 'sick man' or 'blad' at the end of each sentence. It was like, even though he was miles away, Guy and Vaysey were always with him, haunting him.

So the six of them set off for Gisborne's house, Robin in the lead. There was a light drizzle being blown into their faces, but Robin pulled the hood on his hoodie up and ignored it. He had more pressing matters than a bit of rain.

They all hid in the bushes in front of Guy's house. There was a window behind the couch in the living room, so they shouldn't be seen. Robin watched with a mix of annoyance and discomfort as he saw the two of them sitting on the couch. He felt a twang of jealousy hit him in the heart as he noticed the proximity of them. They were so close their knees were touching. He couldn't help but wish that he was the one pressed up against Marian's side watching a cheesy chick flick with her; his hands brushing hers as they shared popcorn.

His face hardened and his jaw tightened as he watch Guy reached over and wrap his arm around her shoulders. And she did nothing to resist him. He felt his heart plummet. A hand settled on his shoulder just as he was about to jump up and give Gisborne as piece of his mind. Or more precisely, a piece of his fist.

He looked over at Allan, who was just smiling. "Leave it to me," he said, digging his cell phone out of his pocket. Everyone watched as he dialled a number and pressed his phone to his ear. They heard a vague ringing somewhere and saw Guy pick his mobile up from the coffee table in front of him.

Allan put on his best electrician voice. "Hello. I don't mean to call at such a late hour, but this will only take a minute of your time. Could I ask you one quick question?"

"If you must," Gisborne sighed, the annoyance evident in his voice.

"Is your refrigerator running?"

Guy waited a beat before answering. "…Yes."

"Then you better go out and catch it!" With that, Allan flipped his phone shut, satisfied when he heard sniggers coming from his friends. John just shook his head.

Through the window they saw Guy's head snap round, his eyes filled with rage when he saw them hiding in his bushes.

"My Gang, this way!" Robin called, flashing a boyish grin at Marian's startled face as he and the other's ran away, this time back to Much's house.

"How," Annabelle said, slightly out of breath. "Did you get Gisborne's number?"

Allan grinned, tapping the end of his nose, but then said, "I got it from Will, who got it from Luke, who got it from Davina, who got it from Vaysey."

Robin gave him a friendly slap on the back. He hoped that that had ruined the mood over at Gisborne's house. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to get Marian to talk to him.

---

Although, as it turned out, he didn't have to.

Marian was quick to pull him to one side out of earshot of the others at the bus stop early the next morning. Her hair was tied back in a high, messy ponytail, her pale blue eyes hid her emotions well, but her body language made them obvious. At least to Robin. She was pissed off.

She couldn't believe that Robin actually had the nerve to spy on her and then ruin her date. Guy was actually a completely different person when he was at home. She half expected him to live in a cave and was pleasantly surprised to find out that he and his parents were actually quite well off and lived in a large, modern two storey house. She had been enjoying herself until Robin had to go and spoil it.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded, folding her arms across her chest, which Robin couldn't help but notice had gotten larger since he left.

He leaned against the brick wall to the side of him, his hands in his pockets, ankles crossed. A small boyish grin was playing at the edge of his mouth, but she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. She took a moment to take him in. Before he left for London he was cute, now he was down right hot. And he knew it, and that's what annoyed her.

"Do what?" he asked innocently, even though he knew full well that she had seen them.

And she told him so. "You know what, Guy and I were having a perfectly good time until you came along!"

"He was all over you," he tried to argue, appearing not to be taking the conversation seriously. For fear of her reply he quickly said, "He's not good for you Marian."

She raised her eyebrows at him, her hands now on her hips. Who on Earth did he think he was? He couldn't just waltz back into her life and start telling her what to do!

"Robin Hood, you can't just suddenly reappear in my life and pretend to know me and act like you know everything about me, because you don't," she snapped, her tone cold and hard. "I've changed, and it's your fault. I'm a big girl now, I can spend time with whoever I like."

Robin tossed some golden brown hair out of his eyes shifting weight uncomfortable form one foot to another. If he didn't know better, she actually cared for…Gisborne?

"Are you in love with Guy?" he asked softly, being serious for the first time.

The question caught her off guard. She believed that there was good in everyone, including Guy. She was able to look past everything else and see what was on the inside. "Love is a very strong word, Robin," Marian said firmly.

"Do you hate me then?" he quickly asked, his crystal blue eyes locking with her own pale ones.

"Hate is also a very strong word," her voice was softer now, but the iciness was still there, reflecting in her eyes.

Robin didn't know if sweet, gentle, caring Marian was capable of hating anything. It just wasn't in her nature. She was so much like her mother, calm and loving to everyone. It was one of the things he loved about her.

He noticed her eyes skim him over and smiled. "You want me," he said simply.

Marian scoffed, embarrassed at having been caught staring, which only made Robin's smile widened. "Oh grow up!" she said.

Allan, who had been watching from the side, decided it would be a great time to give Robin a ring, the _Blink 182_ song plying at top volume.

_TBC_

_Next chapter: Giz and Vaysey make Robin snap..._

_Let me know what you thought of the chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Well, here's chapter four, guys! It contains the fist fights, food fights, and the sex ed project mentioned in the summary._

Guy and Vaysey confronted Robin during morning break in the boys' bathroom, as to avoid the teachers' attention. Robin was standing by the window, flicking through the selection on his ipod to kill some time before the next class. The sound of footsteps caused him to look up, tossing some golden brown hair out of his eyes as he did so.

He forced a boyish, cheeky smile onto his face. "Vaysey, Gisborne, long time no see!" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm until it almost formed a puddle on the floor. "Good evening?"

"Until you came along," Guy replied bitterly.

Robin took his appearance in. His hair was dead straight as always, he briefly wondered if he had to iron it to get it that way. Vaysey was just smirking beside his friend, his arms folded across his chest. Guy was basically Vaysey's puppy dog. He was good at following orders and carrying out his master's will, not for much else.

Robin put on his best innocent face, which he had perfected over the years. "I don't know what you –" but he was cut off when Guy's fist came into contact with his jaw. He staggered backwards, but was able to keep his balance. Without even thinking of the consequences he lashed out and sucker punched Guy in the stomach. He sunk to the ground, clutching his gut, the breath having been knocked out of him; he hadn't expected Hood to recover so quickly.

"Gisborne," Vaysey snapped, stepping to the side and narrowly avoiding Robin's leg as he tried to kick him in a martial arts style. "Get up!"

With a small grunt, Guy made a grab at his legs, but Robin jumped and flipped in the air. He landed perfectly and gracefully, he'd been taking martial art lessons since he was a small boy. "You'll have to do better than that," he taunted.

Vaysey watched from the side as Robin and Guy exchanged punches and insults. Vaysey winced occasionally jumping up and down on the spot, his fists raised, mentally commentating on the fight. Guy took a hit to the nose, blood trickling out.

"Gisborne," Vaysey snapped again. "Are you going to stand there like a kicked puppy and take it? A clue: no! Now hit him!"

"Yeah," said Robin confidently, getting into the fight at hand. "Come on. Hit me!"

Guy just smirked smugly at him, wiping at the blood on his face. "You're just jealous that Marian chose me over you."

That was when Robin snapped, fury flashing in his crystal blue orbs. "Shut the f–" the bell rang, but none of them acknowledged it. " – up!"

"Face it, Hood," Vaysey whispered mockingly, obviously enjoying the reaction. "You've lost. She doesn't love you."

Robin's fist slammed into his nose so that he would match his minion before storming out of the bathroom. His knuckles were red, he was covered in bruises and his jaw ached, but he didn't care. He had more important things to deal with.

---

Will picked up his lunch tray and indicated for Saffiya to follow him, which she did. The two of them shared half of their lessons together, so he accompanied her to her classes and had already shown her where the library, gym and the back field were. Like himself, Saffiya didn't say very much, but he didn't know if it was because of the language barrier. He didn't know how much English she spoke, but the accent was kind of cute. She struck him as the kind of girl who was not afraid to stand up for herself.

They walked to the middle of the room and he set his try down. "Whoa, what happened to you?" he asked when he saw Robin's face. A large purple bruise covered the left side of his mouth and his eyebrow and been cut.

Annabelle grinned. "He won't tell us, but if you look at Giz and Vaysey, I think you can guess."

Saffiya stood nervously at the side. "Have you been to see the nurse?" she asked softly. Robin shook his head. "Put an ice pack on the swelling when you get home, and put some Arnica gel on the bruises. It'll help."

Will suddenly realised how rude he was being and took her tray from her, settling it down on the table next to him. She hesitantly sat down, avoiding everyone's eyes. "Guys, this is Saffiya. She just moved here from Jerusalem," he said before introducing her to Robin, Much, John, Allan and Anna.

The group made small talk, occasionally trading snide remarks about Much and his pet squirrel and throwing bits of food at each other. Allan picked the straw out of his drink, loaded it with a bean and fired it across the room. It hit Gisborne in the back of the head, but he didn't react. However, six beans later and Allan had to duck out of the way to avoid a lump of mashed potato that was flying through the air toward his head. He picked up a carrot and threw it at Vasysey, hitting him square in the forehead. A roast potato hit Allan in the chest, leaving a gravy stain on his shirt, and then Robin. He snatched a brussel sprout and threw it back at them.

"Hood!" Gisborne stood up; so did Robin.

The next thing either of them knew, food was flying through the air at a much faster fate. Guy and Vaysey were outnumbered six to two, but they didn't care much. Saffiya just sat there, occasionally dodging bits of food hurtling towards her. Marian, Eve and Alice ducked under the tables, trying to get to the door without getting mushy peas in their hair, using their trays as shields. The teachers and dinner ladies were trying to restore order to the canteen, but they were ignored. Luke Scarlet and Davina – Vaysey's younger sister – had joined Guy's side in the food fight, and Carter had joined Robin's, not caring how much trouble any of them got into.

---

"He started it," said Robin, pointing childishly to Guy.

"No I didn't. It was his fault," Guy pointed to Allan.

"He insulted my mum!" Allan defended.

Anna just sniggered behind him. "Do you find this funny, Miss Browne?"

_Yeah, actually, I do,_ she thought. "No, sir," is what she actually said, trying to keep a straight face, but failing as Allan made faces behind the Headmaster's back.

"Detention. For the lot of you. Three thirty-five, my office. Now go and clean up before your next lesson begins. I will also be informing your parents' of your actions."

Robin and his Gang all walked out of the room silently, their heads bowed, biting the inside of their mouths to stop themselves from laughing. As soon as they were out of earshot they all collapsed against the wall clutching their stomachs.

"Did you see his face," John choked out.

"Did you see _past_ his face?" asked Will, referring to the rude hand gestures that Allan had been making. "Classic!"

"I try," Allan said, feeling smug.

---

Robin, Much, Allan and Anna shuffled into Biology class coolly. Well, as coolly as one could when they smelt of roast dinner. The three guys had washed their hair in the sinks in the boys' bathroom – the same one Guy and Robin had fought in – but Anna had snuck into the PE changing rooms and had grabbed a quick shower, changing into her PE kit afterwards. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, when it got wet it frizzed. A lot. 'Help! I can't reach the end of my hair!' kind of frizzy.

"Are these seats taken, ladies?" Robin asked walking up to where Marian and Alice were sitting.

"Yes."

"No."

Robin decided to go with Alice's answer and sat down next to her as Marian was on the end. "Just don't start a chemical fight," Alice grinned. She knew she should be on Marian's side, but she was dating John, and therefore sometimes hung out with Robin. She found him quite amusing. "What happened to your face? I know the spuds didn't do that."

"Fell down the stairs," he mumbled in reply.

Dr Grant walked into the lab, his curly hair as unruly as ever. The class continued to murmur between themselves as he picked up a stack of papers and handed them out to everyone. "For the next week," he began. "You will be working in pairs on different projects. Anna and Allan, you will be doing phytosynthesis –" they hi-fived each other under the desk. "Robin and Marian will be doing human reproduction, Emily and Francis –"

Marian resisted the urge to hit her head on the table repeatedly. She knew he was smirking without even looking at him. Being project partners with him was going to completely ruin her No Talking to Robin policy.

"You know," he said, leaning forward slightly. "I was in London when you guys covered the whole sex topic. Care to explain it to me?"

She felt the heart flush to her face. It looked like he hadn't gotten better with age. She couldn't believe that they had dated! When they were together she thought he was funny and exciting. She had matured since then, but if anything his mental age had plummeted even further. What she found even more annoying was the cute way in which his hair had dried after he had washed the gravy out of it, and the way his crystal blue eyes gleamed as he spoke.

"I think you can figure it out," she told him, folding her arms across her chest. Sex was the last thing she wanted to talk to him about. Oh God, a whole week of working with him…

---

Will leaned back in the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. The room was silent, the only sounds was that of people breathing and the clock ticking. Detention only allowed for homework, so he reached into his bag and pulled out a notebook and a pen. He slowly and quietly ripped a page out and scribbled a note, passing it to Saffiya when the teacher on duty wasn't looking.

_I'm sorry._

_-Will_

She read the words and frowned slightly, scribbling down a reply.

_**What for?**_

_For getting you into trouble._

_-Will _

_**That's OK. It wasn't your fault either.**_

_Still. I shouldn't have let the headmaster punish you._

_-Will_

_**I doubt he would have listened to you.**_

_I guess. Still, I'll make it up to you._

_-Will_

_**If you want.**_

Will swept some dark hair out of his eyes and smiled. At least she wasn't mad at him.

_TBC_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Only a handful of chapters to go after this. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far. You guys rock!_

Marian was waiting for Robin when he finally got out of detention. Guy apologised once again for their evening being spoilt and asked her if she would like to try again. A week ago she would have said yes just to get him to leave her alone, but now Robin was back in the equation and she was less sure of the answer. She explained that she had a lot of homework to do and left it at that.

Robin's face lit up when he saw her. She indicated towards the door and began to walk away. "Gotta go, guys. See you later," he said as he trailed after her. "Where are we going?"

"To work on the project for Bio class. I want to get it finished as soon as possible."

Robin grinned his boyish grin. "Hmm, going back to your house to work on human reproduction…"

Marian sighed. "Grow up."

Luckily her father was still out working and wouldn't be back until late. She unlocked the front door, kicked off her shoes and walked into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and picked up two cans of Diet Coke, handing one to him. They set up in the living room, in front of the television, books spread out over the coffee table.

"So how are we going to do this?" she asked him.

"Well, I was thinking I'd be on top and –"

"Seriously, Robin!" she snapped at him, nearly spilling her drink.

"Well how do you want to present it?"

The question nearly caught her off guard. She had expected him to come back with a snarky remark. "Well, I was thinking, maybe we could make a poster and then just give a presentation. Improvise, it can't be that hard."

He just nodded. They sat down on the couch in an uncomfortable silence, Marian typing up what they wanted to put on the poster on her laptop, her back to him. "Are we ever going to talk?" Robin asked softly, his eyes watching the floor.

"We're talking now," Marian pointed out.

He sighed. He remembered the way he used to feel in her house – like he was one of the family, welcome at any time. Now he felt like he was there for the first time, like a stranger. He didn't know how things had gone so wrong so fast. But they had, and they were both now paying the price for it.

"I mean have a proper conversation. About us."

Marian stopped typing, her eyes staring at the screen. "There is no _us_ anymore, Robbie – Robin," she quickly corrected herself.

He smiled, although there was nothing worth smiling about. "Didn't you miss me? Didn't you ever think about me? Wonder how was doing, or whether I was alright?"

She waited a minute before answering. "I thought about you almost everyday. You're a hard person to forget."

"Then why did you block my number and refuse to speak to me?"

She didn't want to tell him that she had constantly been checking with Much as to how he was, but she had made Much promise not to tell him. "I was…angry, hurt that you didn't tell me until the last minute. We didn't even have a proper chance to say goodbye. Our last night together was spent watching bad cop movies and eating stale popcorn."

"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to say it aloud," he told her quietly. She didn't think he'd ever been that still before. Not lively, energetic Robin Hood. "It was like, if I did, it would make it more real. I didn't want to move – London was horrible – so I thought that maybe if I didn't tell anyone, I wouldn't have to go."

She could feel tears prickling in her eyes, clouding her vision. She tried to keep her voice strong and sounding normal. She didn't want him to know how he was affecting her - didn't want to give him that power. "I think you should leave now."

He didn't say anything, but she heard him stand up and walking over to the door. She heard the door open, but she didn't hear it shut. "I'm sorry, Marian," he whispered.

The door close softly behind him, and she let the tears fall.

---

Robin slammed his bedroom door shut, feeling the room shake slightly. He collapsed onto his bed, taking a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He wished he could reverse time and do things differently. Maybe then they would still be together. He'd do anything for another chance, but he knew how stubborn she was.

He got up and unzipped his guitar out of its case, digging into his pocket for a pick and looking around for a pen and paper. He closed his eyes and began to play the first tune that came into his head, then writing it down:

"_I'm all on my own,_

_You won't pick up the phone,_

_I wish you'd just talk to me,_

_I remember the time,_

_That you used to be mine,_

_God, it seems to long ago_

_-_

_I'm sorry I left you,_

_You have to believe I didn't want to,_

_I thought we were stronger than this,_

_I was sure we'd pull through._

_-_

_When I think of all the things we had,_

_And all the things we were,_

_I never thought it would end so bad,_

_I'm scared I've lost you_

_-_

_I'm sorry I left you,_

_You have to believe I didn't want to,_

_I thought we were stronger than this,_

_I was sure we'd pull through._

_-_

_I'm lying awake,_

_There's not much more I can take,_

_Without you by my side,_

_I'm the only one for you,_

_You're the only one for me,_

_What can I do to make you see,_

_That we belong?"_

---

Anna was waiting for Allan outside his house as she did every morning. They only lived down the road from each other, a three minute walk. The two of them had met at nursery school when Allan put paste in her hair. She smiled; they were probably the only people who could bond over paste. She didn't know when she had begun thinking of him as more than her best mate, but she had, and she didn't know what to do about it.

"Morning," Allan said, slamming the door behind him and snapping her out of her train of thought.

She gave him a small smile. She noticed that his eyes always seemed even bluer when he had just woken up.

"Morning back," she said as they walked off. "Did you get that call from the headmaster?"

Allan groaned. "Yeah. Mum and Jack weren't best pleased, but Tom backed me up in saying that I didn't start it."

"I'm not being funny, but you _did_ start it," she pointed out, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

He just shrugged. "What they don't know, can't hurt me."

---

Will turned the corner, heading in the direction of his locker. He saw Guy and Vaysey talking to Saffiya, who was backed against a wall, looking a little suffocated. He was too far away to make out what they were saying, but he could guess. Try as he might, he just couldn't understand them. They didn't even know Saffiya, and she hadn't done anything to them.

"Hey," he called out. "Leave her alone."

Vaysey turned around, smiling irritatingly. "Oh, isn't that sweet. The boyfriend to the rescue," he said in a mocking tone. "Make me!"

Will marched up to him, ignoring the boyfriend comment. He towered over Vaysey, but only just had the height advantage over Gisborne. "I said, leave her alone," he repeated, a little more forcefully this time. "Now."

Vaysey waited for a moment, staring him in the eye. When he finally realised that Will wasn't going to back down he turned to Guy. "Come on, Gisborne. I see some Year Sevens having fun."

Will had half a mind to go after them, but decided against it. "Are you OK?" he asked Saffiya.

She just nodded. She had had the situation under control, but it was nice to know she had a friend in someone in this new country. "Thank you, Will."

He smiled shyly. "Just tell me if they bother you again, the lads and I will sort them out."

"I'm a big girl, I can handle them. Thank you for your concern though," she added quickly.

He felt a blush creep onto his face. He and Saffiya had only know each other for a few days, but there was something odd about her. She was different from other girls – but in a good way. He just couldn't put his finger on what is was about her though.

_TBC_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Here's an extra long chapter for the Valentines Day post-athon. Sorry I didn't reply to many reviews for the last chapter, real life has been a pain. Warning - this chapter contains Will angst._

Allan, Will, Robin, Anna, Guy and Vaysey all sat round the table. After the food fight the previous day the headmaster had decided that they needed to work out their issues with each other and had therefore told Mr Polson to make them a group in Chemistry. Gisborne was looking sullen as usual, Vaysey looked bored, Will was silent as ever, Anna was almost asleep and Robin was sulking for some unknown reason, although Allan suspected it had something to do with Miss Fitzwalter sitting across the room, also looking depressed. He felt the mood getting to him; he couldn't stand silence.

"So," he said, rubbing his hands together. "What's say we get this experiment on the road?"

He hopped off of his stool and gathered the necessary equipment and followed the instructions on the board to set it up, switching the gas on as he did so. Anna grabbed a starter and hit the button, but the flame didn't appear. Frowning, Allan picked it up and tried a few times, but still no flame appeared. He looked up to find Guy and Vaysey still sitting down, watching him with unfocused eyes.

"Hey, why don't you two make yourselves useful and help us," he said sourly. It was their fault that they were forced to work together in the first place.

Without changing his sullen expression, Guy reached over the desk to get the Bunsen burner. Allan tried to get the starter to work again and this was able to. Except, since the gas had been on for a while, the flame shot out towards Guy, setting his dark green jumper on fire. He yelped and jumped back.

Seeing an opportunity, Robin smiled and picked up the fire extinguisher, spraying Gisborne from head to toe in white, bubbly foam.

"Hood!" he cried. He snatched the starter out of Allan's hands and pressed the button, the flame shooting out towards Robin, who only just jumped out of the way.

"I was only trying to help," he said, giving the fire extinguisher another squeeze to make his point. "You don't have to try and kill me!"

"Enough!" cried Mr Polson, stepping between the two of them. "Mr Gisborne, go and clean up. Mr Locksley, wait outside. I'll see you both in my office at lunch."

---

Annabelle slung her bag off of her shoulder and sat down opposite Allan and next to Much. It was lunch and the library was quiet and empty as always, bar the librarian from hell, Mrs Primrose. Robin was in his second detention in as many days, so the others took advantage of his absence.

"So," Anna said, leaning forward and entwining her fingers. "Robin's birthday is a week and a half away. Let's talk parties."

"I could probably get my hands on some food and drinks," said Allan, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his hair.

"I'll buy the cake?" Will suggested.

"And I'll take care of invitations," Anna said, locking eyes with Allan, grey meeting blue. Neither pulled away until John asked where the party was going to be held.

"Well, my cousins are coming round to stay for a few days next week, so my place is out," said Allan, receiving a death glare form the librarian for talking to loudly.

Anna had younger brothers and sisters that had to go to bed early, and Will's brother would only try and crash it. John's house was out because his elder neighbours would complain after ten minutes of loud music, so that left Much's house.

"Alright," he said reluctantly. Last time they had thrown a party, punch had ended up on the _ceiling_. "My parents are both away that night anyway. You guys just have to promise you'll help me clear up afterwards though."

John just smiled and raised an eyebrow over Much's shoulder. He looked around and saw Eve walked towards them. He paled and quickly turned back around.

"Oh my God, she's coming this way. What do I do?" he hissed, feeling his heartbeat quicken and thump against his chest.

Will smiled at his friends reaction. "Saying hello is always a good place to start."

"Or if you don't think you can manage that, go with _hi_. It's a lot shorter," said Allan, wincing slightly as Anna kicked him under the table.

"Much?" Eve asked in a soft tone.

He nodded and turned around. Her light hair was feathered around her face, her gentle eyes watching him. She seemed almost as shy as he was. Almost.

"Is this yours?" she asked, pulling a red A-4 notebook from her bag. "I think you left it in History class last period."

He mumbled a thank you and quickly stuffed it away in his bag under the desk, blushing as red as the cover. He prayed to God that she hadn't opened it. He'd zoned out in History and had started to doodle Eve's name in the margin.

"Mate, you got it bad," Allan smirked once she was out of ear shot, giving Much a playing shove to the shoulder. Boy did he know it.

---

John met Alice in the corridor on the way to French class. The two of them had been seeing each other romantically for over two years now, and they were getting pretty serious. He leaned against the wall, smiling down at her. She had always been able to turn him into a big teddy bear.

"How are you?" she asked, pressing her lips to his.

He smiled into the kiss and pulled her closer to him; she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Fine thanks. You?" he asked, slightly breathless.

She just smiled and pressed her forehead against his. The bell sounded, but neither of them acknowledged it.

"Do you know what's going on with Marian and Robin?"

Alice shook her head. Marian had been acting strangely since he'd gotten back from London. She didn't talk much, and when she did her tone of voice was cold. She'd lost her lively spark. "No," she said with a shake of her head. "At first I thought it was PMS, but then I noticed that Robin was just as moody as she was."

Robin was also in a sulk. If he kept it up he'd give Guy a run for his money. He didn't know the exact details of their problem, but he could guess.

He looked behind him to make sure Robin wasn't lurking near by. "We're throwing Robin a sixteenth birthday party at the end of next week. Don't tell anyone. Just make sure Marian is there."

She nodded. "OK. How do I do that?"

He shrugged. "You'll think of something."

----

Will watched the clock on his kitchen wall, watching the second hand slowly tick by. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, resting on the chair opposite. His dad was out in his workshop, and would be until late. Will was waiting for Luke to come home. He'd seen him being escorted to the headmaster's office again during fourth period, so he guessed he was still in detention. He wished he could make his little brother see how stupid he was being. He was so much better than the scum he hung out with. And Will didn't even want to think about his girlfriend – Vaysey's younger sister. Luke was a Scarlet, and Scarlets never gave up, but that was exactly what he was doing – giving into peer pressure

The sound of the front door being opened snapped him out of his train of thought. Luke walked into the kitchen, his eyes cold as per usual. Even for brothers they look remarkable similar. They had the same thick jet black hair, the same light green eyes, the same shaped face and he was defiantly catching up to Will in the height department. But they couldn't be more different in personality. Will was kind, caring and considerate of others. Luke was slightly self-centred and didn't always think before opening his mouth to speak, and, with the exception of Allan, Will had never know a guy to be so obsessed with his hair. He knew that when his mother died, a big part of both of them would go with her.

"Where have you been?" he asked, as his bother walked to the fridge and got a bottle of Coke out.

"Detention," Luke shrugged, taking a long pull from the bottle.

Will raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Got caught passing notes and talking during a test," Luke could feel his brother's gaze drilling a hole into his back. "It wasn't my fault. Davina just wanted to check if we were still on for our date tonight."

Will shook his head, his dark hair falling over his eyes; he really needed to get it cut. Or at least borrow some of Allan's hair gel. "Lukie, you really should stop hanging around Davina Vaysey. She's not good for you."

Will noticed the change in his brother almost immediately. "First off, _never_ call me Lukie. Secondly, leave me alone. Stop pretending to me Mum, because you never will be."

He felt like Luke had just suckered punched him in the stomach. No one would ever replace their mother, he couldn't believe that that was what Luke thought he was trying to do. He was just looking out for his baby brother's best interests.

Will stood up, feeling the tension radiation off of him in waves. "I'm not trying to replace her. And don't even say that! She's still…" he trailed off. "…With us."

"Whatever," venom laced Luke's voice as he stormed off towards the staircase. "Stop trying to control my life."

"I'm not. I'm just not sure if Davina is the best influence for you," Will shot back, quickly walking after Luke.

"How would you know what's best for me? You're to busy wallowing in your own self pity that you have no idea what's going on around you."

Will winced. Both at his brother's words and the sound of his bedroom door being slammed. He slumped against the wall and ran a hand through his hair. There was only so much of Luke's rebellious moods that he could handle and his patience was wearing out. He swallowed hard as he realised that there was only one person who could make him feel better again. He grabbed his jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders to protect him from the cold. It was only a twenty-minute walk from his house to the hospital, but as per usual it felt like hours. Will's aunt worked at the hospital, so when the various family members had to go home, Jane – his mother – was never alone. She always had someone watching her.

As much as it pained him, Will knew his that his mother's time on earth was limited. She only had a matter of months left. He tried to put a brave face on, especially at school, but inside it was eating him away. Robin and Allan were the only ones who really knew what was going on. He looked forward to seeing his mother, and visited her at least every other day, but he hated seeing her so pale and weak. She used to be so full of life and was always smiling. How, he was lucky to see her awake. He always feared that one day he'd walk into the hospital and her bed would be empty. He couldn't ever imagine not having her in his life.

The receptionist and most of the hospital knew him through his aunt, so they just gave him a sad smile as he walked past the front desk. Will sat down by his mother's bedside, the steady beeping of the machines soothing him. He told her about his day and about Luke getting into trouble again. He didn't know whether or not she could hear him, but he felt he had to say something.

"You must be Mr Scarlet," Will jumped and turned around. A tall olive skinned man stood in the doorway. He nodded. "My name Dr Doron Namir, I just started working here," he extended his hand; Will shook it. "I've heard a lot about you from your aunt. Your mother is a strong woman, she's has a few more months worth of fights in her," he said softly, scribbling on Jane's chart.

Will said nothing. There was a knock on the door, but whoever it was didn't wait for a response.

"Dad, I was wondering if…Will?" asked Saffiya, sticking her head around the door.

Dr Namir looked from one of them to the other. "Do you two know each other?"

She nodded. "This is the boy I told you about – the one showing me around the school," her eyes trailed to the woman lying in the bed.

Dr Namir cleared his throat. "Well, I'll leave you two alone. It was nice meeting you, Will."

But before he could get a word in, the doctor had left and Saffiya had shuffled in, looking slightly uncomfortable. Will raised an eyebrow. "He's your father?"

She nodded. She understood for the first time where the pain in his eyes came from. He looked so cute and upset, she wished there were something she could do to make him feel better.

"I told you he was a doctor," she gave him a warm smile and hesitantly took the seat next to him. She didn't want to intrude on a private moment, but she was a bit late to do anything about it. "What's wrong with her – if you don't mind me asking," she added quickly, not wanting to stick her nose into other peoples business.

"Cancer," he whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it more real.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Will sighed and entwined their fingers, finding comfort in the simple gesture. "Thanks Saffiya."

Her dark brown eyes stayed glued to their hands, admiring their contrasting skin tones. "I know we haven't known each other for very long, but if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

He gave a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thanks Saffiya," he repeated.

"Call me Saffi."

He didn't know why he did what he did next. Maybe it was the way her silky hair gleamed in the light. Maybe it was the way her thumb was gently rubbing over his knuckles. Maybe it was the way she seemed to understand him without even saying anything. Or maybe it was just the comfort she provided, but the next thing he knew, his lips were on hers. And she wasn't complaining.

_TBC_

_I'd like to thank DeanParker for letting me use her experiences in the Chemistry labs (although I may have tweaked them a bit)._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I really don't like this chapter, but no matter how many times I rewrote it, I just couldn't get it right. Sorry it's so short._

_Meanwhile, over at Robin's house… _

**One-shot Locksley:** Marian? Are you there? It's me, Robin.

**One-shot Locksley: **Come on, Marian. Talk me. Please.

**XxMarianxX: **What do you want?

Robin winced as he read her words. She was even using a red font.

**One-shot Locksley: **…I was wondering how the Bio project was going…

**XxMarianxX: **Oh. Erm. It's fine.

**One-shot Locksley: **That's good. Anything I can do to help?

**XxMarianxX:** No, I think I have it all under control. Thank you though.

Robin leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. Having sensed that she wasn't in a brilliant mood he had decided against asking her what he really wanted to.

**One-shot Locksley:** Are you sure? It wouldn't be fair if you did all the work…

Marian sighed as she read his latest message. She had decided to unblock his mobile number and e-mail address, but already she was beginning to regret it. The man just didn't give up easily. His determination was one of the things that she had once been drawn to, but used against her it was just annoying. She was still unsure of her feelings for him. She was angry, obviously, that he felt he could just walk back into her life and pick up where they left off. He didn't even ask if she was seeing anyone, and when she did he completely ruined what could have been a lovely evening for her.

And who knew what had happened in London. People change after all. For all she knew he could have had three girlfriends left back in the city.

And it was a lot of work…

**XxMarianxX:** Well, all right. We need diagrams, explanations and dictionary definitions.

**One-shot Locksley: **Why don't you come over to mine? My parents are both out at my cousin's baby shower – we'll have the house to ourselves.

**XxMarianxX:** I'm not sure, Robin…

He banged his head against the desk a couple of times. What would it take it get this girl to willing be in a room with him? Or even talk to him face to face? What had happened to the bouncy, cheerful, caring Marian he knew? And what would it take to get her back?

**One-shot Locksley:** I promise I won't…I just want to see you…please?

She sighed again. She was doing that a lot recently. Another thing she could blame him for.

**XxMarianxX: **…OK then.

Then she logged out and switched the computer off.

A few blocks over and Robin was smiling smugly to himself. Then he suddenly leapt off of his chair and dashed to the small bathroom attached to his bedroom. He ran a bit of gel through his hair and then slapped himself on the cheek.

"Looking good," he mumbled.

He quickly changed out of his ugly school uniform and into a pair of loose jeans and a bicep hugging T-shirt. On the off chance that she came into his bedroom he picked up random pairs of boxers and socks that had been left lying around on the floor.

Marian knocked on the front door a few minutes later. As she stood on the porch she couldn't help but think of all the times that she had been round to his house for 'study sessions'. Most of the time they had ended up studying the inside of each other's mouths. She pulled at her skirt, trying to make it cover more of her long legs and wished that she had worn trousers. Her dark curls were tied back into a high ponytail on the top of her head, her laptop case swung over her shoulder.

He answered the door, leaning against it in a relaxed pose. He was smiling his usual boyish grin and looking as cute as ever.

_I did not just think that!_ She thought as she stepped past him, brushing against him as she did so.

"We can set up in the kitchen," he said, taking the laptop and folders from her.

The two of them sat in silence and at opposite ends of the table, each with a mug of freshly made coffee in front of them. They got to work cutting and sticking the necessary pieces of information needed for the stupid project. The only sounds that could be heard were the tick-tocking of the clock on the wall and the low hum of the refrigerator. Robin racked his brain for something to say – anything to start a conversation.

"You look nice," OK maybe not _that_.

"Thank you," she said politely, her eyes never leaving the screen. She wasn't even working; she was searching the net for a new pair of shoes.

"So…" he tried again. "Tell me what's been happening since I've been away. Are you seeing anyone?"

She thought about lying and saying yes, she was, but decided against it and shook her head. "No, I'm not. Did you date in London?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No, I didn't want a rebound relationship," he took a sip of coffee in an attempt to give himself a jolt. "Marian, I hate this. Not being able to just sit and talk like we used to. Isn't there anyway we can try again."

She looked him in the eye. He hid his emotions well, but she knew what to look for and where. "I don't think so, Robin."

"Why not?" he asked, looking around the room to avoid her eyes. "Don't you care for me anymore?"

She waited a moment before answering, choosing her words carefully. "A part of me will always care for you, but Robin, you barely left with a goodbye."

He stood up. "Marian, I made a mistake. I realise that now, and I'm sorry. But this is stupid, we're fighting over nothing," he walked around the table to her. "Can't we just act like this never happened and start again?"

He took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. "Please?" he whispered before his lips captured hers.

He felt her reluctance, but neither of them pulled away. Her lips were soft and warm; he couldn't have pulled away if he wanted to. He sucked gently on her lower lip and then pulled back. "I love you," he whispered so quietly that he wasn't sure if she had heard him.

But she had. Even when they had been dating, those three words had never been uttered by either of them. They had been younger back then, both physically and emotionally, but the attraction they had shared was intense.

He kissed her again. Her lips parted on their own accord and his tongue slipped into her mouth, dancing with hers. She bought her hands up to his chest and gave him a firm push backwards.

"I have to go," she said calmly, but on the inside she was anything but.

He mentally sighed; he'd blown it again. "Marian, I didn't mean it."

"Didn't mean what?" she quickly spun around to face him again. "Didn't mean that you love me, or didn't mean to kiss me?"

"How many times do I have to apologise?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.

She gave a half-shrug. "I'll let you know when you get there," she folded her arms across her chest and took a deep breath to calm down. "This is, all going way too quickly for me. You only just got back."

"How much time are you going to need?"

She shook her head to herself. "I don't know. I have to go," she said quietly.

Robin bit his lip until he began to taste blood, but nodded. Silence came between them, each afraid to say anything in case it started another fight. He closed his eyes and heard her shuffle around and gather his things about. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

He just nodded. She let herself out, leaving him standing in the kitchen. We'll, he thought, it was better than a slap to the face. And it may not have been a proper goodbye, but it was a start, and better than nothing.

_TBC_

_I know, OK. But I promise the next chapter will be better, and has lots of angst, fights, and a bit of fluff too!_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Contains Will angst, Will fights and Will/Saffi hurt/comfort. I edited this chapter three times last night, but it wouldn't save, so sorry if there are still mistakes._

Annabelle leaned against the wall in front of Allan's house like she did every morning. She tapped her foot against the ground and cast a glance at her watch. Allan was running late – well, later than usual. She looked at the house that held so many memories. Birthday parties, barbecues, playing in the paddling pool during the summer when they were six. She probably spent more time there than she did at her own house.

The sound of the door opening brought her home from her trip down memory lane. Allan's younger brother walked out, his silver and green tie undone around his neck. He raised his eyebrows to her in a hello and carried on walking. He and his brother looked very different – it was easy to believe they weren't full siblings. There were hints of their mother in both of them, but they both took after their fathers.

A few minutes later Allan himself walked out the door. His hair was gelled as always and was almost begging to her to run her finger through it. His electric blue eyes lacked their usual energetic spark. She frowned.

"You OK?"

He just shrugged. "Not feeling that good. Haven't for a while now."

She frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Stomach ache mainly. It's probably just the flu."

She looked at him. He looked tired more than anything, and maybe slightly pale. "Are you sure you want to go to school?"

He just nodded. She brought her hand up to his forehead and then down to his cheek, lingering for just a second longer than was necessary. "You do feel warm," she said, shrugging her jacket off and wrapping it around his shoulders.

He smiled gratefully and pulled it closer to him. He couldn't help but notice that it smelt vaguely of her shampoo, and he began to feel slightly better.

---

Will stared out of the window, but his gaze was unfocused and blurred. He knew he should be listening to what Señora Harris was saying, but at that moment, he couldn't give a damn about Spanish adjective title agreement, or whatever she was blithering on about.

He kept casting his mind back to the previous evening. He'd never believed in fate, but surely Saffi's dad being her mother's doctor wasn't a coincidence. He pictured her in his mind. Dark, silky, glossy hair. Soft, chocolate eyes. Light mocha latte skin. A warm, reassuring smile and loving nature. It scared him that he could have such strong feelings for someone he had barely known for little more than a week.

Neither one of them had said anything after he had spontaneously kissed her by his mother's bedside. They avoided eye contact after they pulled away, but Will kept his gaze on her mouth. Somehow, their hands had ended up being entwined and his head had ended up on her shoulder, her cheek against his temple. They didn't say anything, just enjoyed being with each other. They probably would have stayed there all night had it not been for Will's mobile going off, making him jump and accidentally banging his head against hers. He blushed sheepishly and apologised, but she said that she was fine, and besides, they were in a hospital. The caller ID on his phone read 'Dad'.

He apologised again and said that he had to leave, he didn't realise how late it had gotten – almost midnight. Saffi gave his hand an awkward squeeze and walked him to the door.

Her dad still had another hour of his shift left, so there was really no point in going home. So instead she sat by Will's mother, listening to the beeping of the heart machine. The poor woman looked so frail and weak; she could tell Mrs Scarlet didn't have much time left on this earth, and it made her heart ache for poor Will and his brother and father.

She had unconsciously brushed her fingers against her lips. There was no denying that she was attracted to Will, but she couldn't believe that she felt so strong after such a short amount of time.

Will jumped in his seat as the teacher slammed a meter ruler on his desk in front of him – an old trick, but it worked. He mumbled an apology – in Spanish, hoping that it would get him off of the hook – and shuffled out of the room, seeing that everybody else had already left.

It was morning break, so students were all milling about in the corridors. He saw Vaysey and Guy leaning against the wall opposite him, grinning.

"Willie and the New Girl sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g," Vaysey sang out of tune. "First comes snogging, then comes sex, then comes the baby in the BMX."

Will's eyes narrowed. How did he –

"Couldn't keep you hands to yourself, eh Scarlet?" asked Guy, a mocking tone to his voice. But unlike the one that Allan often used, his was cold and hard, and without a sense of caring that his friend's often came with. When Will didn't answer him Guy continued. "I have to admit, I can think of a few more romantic places than your mother's deathbed."

Something inside Will snapped at Gisborne's hateful words. "Shut up!" he said, quietly but forcefully, venom lacing his voice. "How do you even know about that?"

"My cousin just had a baby, I went to visit her in the hospital."

Will took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Very few people knew about his mother's condition, and of all the people in the word why did it have to be Guy Gisborne and his boss?

"How is the lovely Mrs Scarlet?" Vaysey asked, clearly loving the pain he was causing Will.

Vaysey had absolutely no right to use her name. He couldn't believe the man could be so heartless; there were no words to describe the anger and pain that was coursing through his veins. Just as he was about to reply he heard Vaysey cry out in pain. He looked up to see him on the floor, a hand against his jaw, a girl that looked suspiciously like Saffi towering over him.

"Don't you ever, _ever_, speak to him like that again," she hissed, just low enough for Will to catch. And then she kicked Vaysey in the stomach.

Guy smirked. "Have to get a girl to fight your battles?"

Will launched himself at him, knocking Guy to the floor. "Leave her alone," he ordered, his anger controlling him. He was breathing hard, and his heart was hammering in his chest. "Or I will hurt you."

He quickly got up before Guy could reply and ran in the direction of the Webster Block. Tears were streaming down his face, but he didn't notice. He had never known what it felt like to truly hate someone, but now he did. The things he felt for Gisborne and Vaysey were so strong it scared him. And poor Saffi. She didn't deserve their treatment. She hadn't even done anything to them, just joined the school.

He kept running, not caring that the bell had rung a long time ago.

---

Much saw Eve sitting in front of a computer screen, a sour look on her usually pretty face. He edged closer to see what was on her computer screen, and was surprised to see a piece of food technology coursework that he had already completed. From her expression he could tell she was struggling with the task.

Ignoring the sweaty feeling in his palms, he hesitantly walked up to her, trying to also ignore the fragrance of her perfume, but failing. She smelt like vanilla. "D-do you need any help?" he stuttered.

She looked up and smiled. "Oh, hey Much," she said. "Yeah, I'd love some thanks."

"You know my name?" he asked, completely stunned.

She let out a sound that was half way between a chuckle and a giggle. "Of course I do. We're only had classes together, for what? Over four years now?"

He blushed and started at the screen. "Oh, yeah, of course. I just meant that – what do you need?"

She turned her attention back to the word document she had opened. He looked kind of cute with his hair damp, making it go darker than it's usual sandy blonde colour. She guessed it was from the rain outside. "Oh, erm, I was just wondering how I could move the text from that box to the centre."

Much moved the mouse and clicked a few buttons. "Like that?"

Her face lit up and she nodded. "That's great. Thanks!"

He blushed a dark shade of red. "It was…my pleasure. It's quite easy really, just a case of knowing what you're doing."

"You must think I'm stupid."

"What? No, no, I don't think that," he quickly reassured her. Stupid was the last thing he thought she was. "It took a while to me to get the hang of it as well. Really, it just takes practice."

She grinned shyly as an uncomfortable silence came over them. "Well, I-I'll leave you to it," Much mumbled, backing away and out the door.

---

Will rubbed furiously at his cheeks trying to stop the tears of anger streaming down his face. There was very little that made him loose control that he had done, he always had a firm grip on his emotions, but Gisborne and Vaysey had finally made him snap. He lashed out and slammed his fist against the wall. He was in the library; the furthest part from the desk, so the librarian from hell wouldn't hear him. He didn't care if she did anyway; she couldn't make him move or leave. So what if he skipped drama class? He hated being the centre of attention anyway.

His mother's face flashed through his mind followed by Gisborne's. He had some nerve to mention her name. She was the greatest woman alive; Guy didn't even know her. Will had never known what it was like to hate, not sweet, gentle William Scarlet. He was the quiet, peaceful good boy who did all his homework and never got into trouble. That was Luke's jobs, not his. And yet, here he was, skipping class and getting into fights.

---

Saffi looked around and heard a muffled thump coming from her left. She followed the sound, ducking under the librarian from hell's desk, and then ducked behind a bookcase. The sight nearly broke her heart. Will was leaning with his forehead resting against the wall, an arm above his head, shaking.

Hesitantly, she walked up to him, wondering if it was her place to intrude. "Will?" she whispered softly, reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder.

She felt him stiffen at her touch before slowly relaxing. Will then collapsed into a near by chair and took a deep breath.

"Don't let them get to you," she said, hesitantly taking the seat next to him, still not sure whether or not she was welcome. "Don't give them a reason to carrying on, just ignore them."

He sighed and unconsciously leaned into her shoulder. "You shouldn't be here, you'll be late for class."

"I don't care, Will. You're more important then studying chemical bonds with Ms Patell."

They sat in silence, each in their own thoughts. Saffi could feel his heart beating against her side, his dark hair tickling her cheek. Will was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" she asked, confusion lacing her soft voice.

"For getting you involved. You've only just moved here and they're picking on you and it's my fault. It's not fair."

She smiled sadly. "Life isn't fair, Will. I would have thought you of all people would know that," she whispered. "Besides, Gisborne and Vaysey were out of line, they needed someone to show them how much words can hurt – much more than a fist of a kick."

Will shifted against her into a more comfortable position, changing the subject. He wanted to know more about her. "What's Jerusalem like? Do you miss it?"

She gave a half shrug. "Not really. I miss my family though."

"Didn't they move here?"

She shook her head. "Only my father and I. My mother and Djaq stayed."

"Djaq?" he asked, curious to hear about her previous life.

She smiled. "Djaq is my brother – my twin brother. He stayed with my mother when my parents got divorced."

"Do you keep in contact?"

She nodded. "Of course. He is eager to hear about England, I've told him a lot about it and you guys already."

She had told her brother about them? "What did he say about me?"

"He thinks you're very noble."

The corners of Will's mouth looked like they were thinking about smiling.

"He's coming to visit at Christmas," she noticed the curious look he was giving her. "My family have always been very relaxed when it comes to religion. My mother is Christian, my father is Muslim," she explained.

Decided that it would rude to ask which she was – not that it would make any difference – he just nodded. "Did…did you leave anyone behind? Anyone special?" he asked, sitting up to look at her.

She shook her head without hesitation, which was reason as to Will's next move. He put a hand on her cheek and leaned in, closer the gap between them, his mouth covering hers in a searing kiss full of affection and love.

"Inappropriate action in the library. Out!" cried the librarian, startling them both.

---

Allan just nodded to whatever Anna was saying; trying to look like was paying attention. He rubbed at his throbbing side, but if anything it made the pain worse. It had been days since he had begun feeling ill. At first he thought it was the flu, now he wasn't so sure.

"Allan? Allan!" Anna hissed, shoving his shoulder to get his attention.

Their biology project was due in next period and they in the library making the final adjustments.

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

She narrowed her grey-green eyes at him. "Are you OK?"

He nodded, but she could see how unfocused his eyes were. He was obviously in pain. He stood up, holding on to the desk for balance. "Yeah, I think I'm just…gonna go to the nurse."

He took a deep breath to try and steady himself, his side burning. The room was spinning, and he vaguely heard Annabelle calling his name again before he collapsed, giving into the darkness.

She was by his side in an instant, her heart hammering against her rib cage. "Allan!" she brought a hand to his face; he was running a temperature. She reached for her bag and pulled out her mobile, quickly calling for an ambulance.

_A/N: This is the part where I say that I know nothing about anything medical, so sorry if anything in the following chapters is incorrect._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but they're is only two or three left. BTW, anything medical is beyond me, so this is all probably wrong, but bare with me._

Anna, Robin, Will, John and Much all sat staring at the impossibly white walls in front of them with unfocused eyes. Saffi was off looking for her father, leaving the Gang alone with their thoughts. Anna was resting against Will's side, biting her bottom lip unconsciously, not even noticing when she tasted blood. Hundreds of thoughts were running through her head; she was vaguely aware of Allan's parents and brother nearby.

Robin, who had been across the room, had appeared by Allan's side moments after she'd called for an ambulance, demanding to know what had happened. She wasn't ever sure if she had answered him, yet alone what her answers were.

She blamed herself. She could see he was sick – hell, he had even told her he was – yet she ignored it, shrugging it off as nothing. She should have told him to go to the nurse – not that it would have done him much good in the long run. Still, she should have done _something_! What kind of friend was she? He obviously wasn't right – well, right for Allan. He was pale, he was quiet (that should have been her first clue), his electric blue eyes were missing their usual spark and his face was covered with a thin sheen of sweat. Why didn't she pick up on it before? Friends look out for each other, they don't ignore them and leave them to suffer, you don't do that to someone you love –

Wait, love? She thought to herself. Did she love Allan? There was definitely a strong attraction and a friendship that would last forever, but when did a crush turn into love? Love was a powerful emotion, and certainly not one that just manifested over night.

She heard his mother say her name and looked up, a pair of electric blue eyes identical to her son's were watching her. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked sheepishly.

"They say he has appendicitis. They're operating now," Mrs A-Dale said, wrapping an arm around Tom's shoulder.

She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and felt Will give her shoulder a light squeeze. Appendicitis? That wasn't that bad, right? It was a relatively quick procedure, right?

She swallowed hard and nodded, but she knew she wouldn't feel better until she saw those baby blues smiling up at her again.

---

Marian, Eve and Alice walked down the corridors of the hospital, an aura of confidence radiating from them as it always did. When the three of them were together, there wasn't much that could stop them. Marian smiled as she found the six of them waiting together. No matter what they always had each other, and they stuck together through thick and thin.

Annabelle was lying on the floor with her feet against the wall, her mousy brown hair sprayed out over the floor. Alice walked up to John and wrapped her arms around her neck, pressing her forehead against his; she smiled for the happy couple. They were proof that love did exist. She watched as Eve nervously shuffled up to Much, who looked equally unsure and uncomfortable, they were so cute. Marian was glad for Saffiya. She could see the way she danced around Will, and she had her suspicions about the two of them. She was glad her peers had accepted her and hoped she could get to know her better herself.

Her eyes finally turned to Robin, who was leaning against the wall staring at the floor. She didn't know the full story. All she did know was that Allan had collapsed in the library during lunch and was burning up. An ambulance had arrived and Anna had gone to the hospital with him. Robin and the others had asked to go as well, but there wasn't room. Since the Head was preoccupied with informing Allan's parents, he hadn't notice when the Gang snuck through the school gates. She, Eve and Alice had gotten their as soon as school got out, rumours already having been spread far beyond the truth, some were even saying that Allan overdosed.

"So what's happening?" she asked Robin, momentarily forgetting about her giving him the cold shoulder.

"They think its appendicitis. He should be fine," he gave a lazy shrug, but she could see the emotion in his eyes. She knew he thought of himself as a leader, and took the welfare of his friends very seriously. When one was in pain, they were all in pain.

"Thank goodness," she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

She smiled slightly. "I could say that same to you, but in case you hadn't noticed school ended a while ago," she said, flashing her his watch.

He looked down at his own and saw that it had, indeed, ended. He looked back up her and shifted uncomfortably. "So…how'd the project go?"

She nodded. "Fine."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Her eyes moved to the double doors to the side of him. "I think you had more important things on your mind. Let me know if there's any news," then she turned around and walked away.

John watched out of the corner of his eye. He noticed the way they both acted around each other. Each was keeping something, neither of them saying what they both wanted to. He frowned; he'd have to do something about that. Robin's sixteenth birthday was not far away and he knew his friend wouldn't be happy if Marian missed it. He also knew he'd be even more annoyed if she was there against her will. Alice and Eve had persuaded her to go; now all he had to do was get them together before then. Easier said than done.

_TBC_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: The next chapter may not be up for a while. It's only half written and I have exams on Wednesday -que panicking- This is a short chapter for all the Will/Saffi fans. Enjoy!_

Will looked down at Saffi who was browsing through the card selection in WH Smith. Her soft, chocolate brown eyes moved up and down as she tried to find the right one. They were all pleased that Allan's surgery had gone well and he was awake, complaining and being a real pain in the ass for the hospital staff. They denied all of the rumours about him being a junkie (not surprisingly, they had all been started by Gisborne and Vaysey) and assured everyone that he would be fine, as long as he rested. He smiled, he didn't think Allan would have any trouble staying in bed for a few weeks.

"We should get a birthday card for, Robin," Saffi said, still flicking through cards. "His birthday is in a few weeks, yes?"

He nodded. They were going to host it at Much's house. He'd known Robin since he was about six. He found it hard to believe that so much time had passed; yet Robin hadn't really changed. He was still the cocky, energetic boy Will had met in primary school.

He looked over at Saffi, who was now digging through birthday cards. The two of them hadn't really talked about what had happened between them whilst he was visiting his mother at the hospital. He didn't know if it was because she was embarrassed about it or if she regretted it, but it was driving him crazy not knowing what was going through her mind.

He ran a hand through his thick dark hair, making it stand on end and opened his mouth. He thought about asking her something, but changed his mind at the last second. A wrong word could break their friendship. For better or worse.

She picked two cards out and they made their way to the cash register. After paying they decided to get something to eat, as they both skipped lunch to hang out in the library together in an attempt to avoid Vaysey and Gisborne, who never ventured into anywhere remotely intellectual.

Will sipped at his drink, sucking the liquid up through a bright blue straw, but not tasting it. He watched as Saffi pooped the last chip into her mouth. He stared at her smooth mocha latte skin as she threw the wrappers in the bin and stood up.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

He nodded wordlessly and followed her out of the food court.

"Something on your mind?" she asked.

He pressed his lips tightly together for a brief moment before sucking in a deep breath. "Do you…I don't know…maybe want to, go out sometime?" he dragged out, instantly regretting it once the words left his mouth.

Her forehead creased in confusion. "We're out now."

He could feel his pale skin blushing as red as a tomato. He absentmindedly played with the hem of his shirt to give him something to do with his hands. "I-I mean. On a, I don't know, date or something?" he mumbled quietly, not sure if she would be able to understand him.

A smile graced her soft features, her eyes gleaming. She looked up at him with her chocolate brown eyes. "I'd love to," she reached over and entwined her fingers with his. "There, now it's a date."

He smiled, finally feeling his heart rate begin to return to normal. Robin made it look so easy – just go up to a girl you like and ask her out. But then, look at him and Marian now, not even speaking to each other, yet alone anything more. He ran a thumb slowly over her knuckles as they carried on walking, thrilled that she hadn't laughed at him.

Rain began to pour from the grey, gloomy clouds up above them. Will sighed, typical British weather. They huddled next to each other under the bus stop to keep warm. Saffi wrapped her arms around him and rested her head lightly on his chest. She took a deep breath; he smelled like soap and fabric softener.

"How's your mother?" she asked tenderly. Her father didn't like giving her information about Mrs Scarlet, saying that it was Will's decision to tell her. And then there was the whole doctor/patient confidentiality thing. But she could read her father like a open book; Will masked his emotions well, but she'd picked up on the little things he did unconsciously when he was upset or annoyed.

He blew out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "No better, but no worse either."

She just nodded; it wasn't her place to pry. "She told me," he began hesitantly. "That you'd been staying with her sometimes. At night. Is that true?"

Saffi bit the inside of her mouth and nodded again. She'd only briefly spoken to Mrs Scarlet, but she seemed to know who she was, Will must have told his mother about her. She was an amazing woman, so much like her son. Even when she knew she was dying she was cheerful around others.

Saffi was worried about what he was going to say. After all, she had no right to be there, she wasn't a relative.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair.

"You're welcome," she replied just as quietly as he had spoken. "I like your mother. She reminds me of you. She's got the same…spark as you do."

"Really?"

"You're a lot like her," Saffi told him, leaning in closer to him, enjoying the warmth he provided. "You both have the same…I don't know how to describe it…you both have a way of drawing people towards you."

He took a moment to process what she had just said. "Thanks," he said, his eyes staring at the bus timetable in front of him.

"For what?" she asked in confusion.

"For being there for me," Will said, shifting slightly so he could look her in the eye, emerald green meeting chocolate brown. "For being you. I'm glad we met. I'm glad I know you."

Saffi stared into his eyes, finding nothing but honesty, admiration and affection in them. She felt her heart rate speed up, thumping against her rib cage. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in closer. She stopped just short of his face and smiled before closing the distance between them.

_Sorry if those last lines sounded really cheesy, but I had a bit of writer's block with this chapter._


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: I know I sucked at responding to reviews, but I've had no time to respond or even write, but know that I appreciate them all. The next - and last - chapter _should_ be up in a few days. I know this one is quite cheesy, but me and my friends did something similar and I was running out of ideas. Hope you like it!_

Annabelle walked swiftly down the blindingly white corridors of the hospital carrying a bunch of bright balloons and gift bags. Allan was a popular guy, she'd gotten almost – the exception being Guy and Vaysey of course, who still kept insisting that he was on drugs – all of the form to sign the huge card Djaq and Will had brought. She'd brought the balloons to help balance out some of her other gifts…homework from the lessons he'd missed. She'd argued that he was already in enough pain without the added headache Maths and Physics were sure to bring, but the teachers had insisted that he stay on top of his coursework, as exams were fast approaching.

She had quickly run home after school to change out of her uniform and into her own clothes – a pair of jeans and a too-small-and-really-should-have-been-thrown-out-years-ago T-shirt.

She ran a hand through her hair and tried to prevent a yawn. She hadn't gotten much sleep the past few nights, the guilt and worry for Allan keeping her up. She was just glad he was going to be OK.

She knocked on the door of the ward he was staying in and turned the handle. Allan's mother, stepfather and brother were all sitting around him on the bed. Allan himself looked slightly pale, but she welcomed back the spark in his electric blue eyes. He grinned lazily when he saw her leaning in the door way.

Jasmine A-Dale looked back and forth between the two of them and smiled. "Well, we'd better get going. I'm sure Tom has homework to do, and I have start dinner. Will you be OK?" she asked her eldest son.

Allan just nodded, silently begging his mother not to do anything embarrassing, like kiss him, in front of Anna. Luckily, she just gave his hand a squeeze and brushed past Annabelle on her way out. Jack and Tom shuffled out after her.

Anna just smiled. "How are you feeling?" she asked, setting the bags down and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Not too bad," he replied casually, running a hand through his hair. He'd put up so much fuss about the hospital gown that the nurses had given him another one to tie around his other side. "Still hurts a bit, but they've got me pretty drugged up."

"I have something for you," she said, reaching down and picking up one of the gift bags.

He peeked inside and pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt. "Clean clothes," he smiled.

"For when you get out of here," she explained. Allan's smile grew when he read what was on the front of the shirt: 'The Village Called, They Want Their Idiot Back!'

"Oi!" she said, giving her a playful nudge in the ribs.

She just shrugged innocently. "Not being funny, but I think it suits you. Oh, and here."

He mentally groaned at the books she'd just placed on the side of the bed. He was hoping he'd be excused from work. How it was meant to make anyone feel better, he didn't know. He flipped through the pages. "What is _that_?" he said, pointing to a scribbled out drawing of part of the male anatomy.

She looked over and snorted. "Oh, that was Robin."

Allan shook his head and mumbled, "Of course it was."

Anna shifted and leaned against the wall. "So when do you get to leave?"

He shrugged. "A few days hopefully. I'm meant to stay in bed for about a week after I leave though – that I think I can handle," he yawned.

Anna sighed. "You need to rest. I should be going."

He wanted to protest, but ended up yawning again instead. "I hope you feel better," she said as, she leaned down and kissed his forehead.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her soft lips on his skin. He could feel the heart radiation off of her in thick waves and smell the sweet scent of her strawberry shampoo. "Lower," he whispered. Hell, he could always blame it on the drugs.

She kissed the bridge of his nose. "Lower." She kissed the end of his nose. "Keep going."

She stopped just inches from his mouth and smiled, electricity flowing through both of them. Her lips caressed his lightly before they parted, giving him better access. His hand moved to her cheek, hers to his hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

---

The following day found Robin walking down the corridors at school with his headphones in. He'd gotten into yet another fight with Guy during Chem class and had smashed several glass beakers. Some of the shards cut Much's hand and he look dangerously close to fainting, but luckily Djaq took care of it and avoided a trip to the nurse. It was beginning to seem as if going to the hospital was the new 'thing' to do. He smiled; Allan would be pleased that he had started a new trend. He had been sent to the caretaker's closet to find something to clean up the mess with.

He finally dawdled to the closet and debated going into the boys' loos – which were located right next to it – and just listening to his ipod for the rest of the hour, but decided that that would only get him into further trouble.

He reached for the door handle, but it opened from the other side and he came face-to-face with Marian. Then the doors to the boys' loos burst open and Will and John jumped out, pushing Robin into the small closet and slamming the door shut, putting a broken but steady chair against the handle. They smiled and nodded at each other, bumping their fists together.

Robin lost his balance and toppled over, taking Marian with him. Luckily for her he was able to manoeuvre himself so that she didn't take any of his weight after collapsing onto the floor. "Sorry," he mumbled.

She just scoffed and pulled herself up, reaching for the door handle and turning it. Her frown of annoyance deepened as she realised it wasn't going to open. Seconds later, Robin was beside her pounding his fist against the door.

"Sorry," came John's deep voice. "But the two of you have been driving every one crazy with your bad moods. You two are staying in there until you work out what ever the problem is between you."

Will's voice came next. "I'd advise you to do it in," he paused and Robin guessed he was looking at his watch. "Under twenty-minutes, or Coach Phillips will have your head if you're late for Rugby practice."

"What? This is ridiculous, you can't keep us in here!" Marian argued, but Robin knew that they could and would. Damn persistent friends.

When no one answered, Robin shuffled to the back of the closet and sat down, stretching his long legs out in front of him. He had a feeling that these next few were going to be the longest ones of the day.

He looked up at Marian, who was leaning against the door looking absently around the room. It was a good thing neither of them were claustrophobic.

Marian shifted nervously, trying not to think of what took place a few nights previously. She didn't need anymore complications when it came to him. She had pushed those three fateful words he had uttered out of her mind, not wanting to think about them – not wanting to return them. She just wanted everything to go back to normal – before he left. She wanted to turn back time to when they were together and could talk freely and happily with one another.

She looked down at her watch. Only three minutes had gone by. Robin cleared his throat, but didn't say anything. The tension between them was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

She was only in the caretaker's closet in the first place to find something to clean the board with. Anna had used permanent marker pen on the white board and they needed something to get rid of – anger coursed through her body as she realised that everyone was probably in on this little plan. Traitors.

"What time is it?" Robin asked her quietly.

She risked another glance at her watch. "Eleven oh nine."

"Great," she heard him mumble.

She hesitated before sliding down the door and mirroring his position. "So, what do we do now?"

He let out a sigh. "They're not going to let us out until they are happy."

"They could be waiting a while then," she mumbled.

Robin shook his head, his hair falling over his eyes, but he ignored it. He laughed, even though there was nothing amusing about the situation. "What happened to us, Marian?"

She bit down on her bottom lip. "I don't know what you mean."

His crystal blue eyes were unfocused as he stared at the floor. "We were always so close…and now look. We've been locked in a chemical smelling closet in order to get us to talk to each other."

Despite the situation she chuckled. "I bet we'd make some shrink rich."

He grinned his famous boyish grin. "Probably. You're a class in shrink school all by yourself."

She scoffed, but heard the humour in his voice. She got the strangest image of them in ten years time lying on couches and telling Allan of all people about their problems.

They were silent again; the only thing that could be heard was deep, even breathing. Robin's eyes had nearly adjusted to the dark, and he could make out her long dark hair cascading down her back, her pale eyes unfocused and staring at the floor.

"I never should have left," he whispered.

Her eyes snapped up. "What?"

"I said I never should have left. For London. It was a mistake."

She did know what to say to that, so she asked something that had been playing in the back of her mind since he returned. "Why _did_ you leave?"

He shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I didn't have much choice, but I should have put up more of a fight – a fight for _us_."

"Why did you come back?"

"Well, my parents could see that I wasn't happy, so they decided to return home."

"Weren't you happy?"

His eyes narrowed. "Of course not. Not without you. I haven't been happy in over a year."

"Really?"

He nodded.

Marian shifted, hugging her knees to her chest. "I never stopped thinking about you, you know. I never forgot."

"Then why didn't you return my calls. Why did you push me away?"

"I didn't," she argued. "Not completely. I asked Much almost everyday how you were doing, but I didn't want him telling you. I was…angry. Not at you, at the whole situation. I've loved you for as long as I can remember, then we finally get together, I was so happy. Then it all came crashing down."

Robin tensed and stared at her, to shocked to say anything. He felt his heart fly at her words. She didn't hate him. The exact opposite actually. "You-you love me?" he stammered.

She pressed her lips together in a tight line. "I've been so stupid. I know I've ruined my chance, but can we at least still be…friends?"

"How have you ruined your chance?" he asked quickly, ignoring her question. They could never be 'friends', not with the past they had.

"You tried to…I pushed you away, Robin. You tried to change things and I pushed you away."

"I pushed you away first, remember?" he argued. God, would they ever stop fighting?

To his surprise, she actually laughed. Try as he might, he couldn't find anything funny about the situation. "Fine," she said. "It's all your fault."

"It is –" he automatically went to argue, but stopped and felt the corner of his mouth tug into a smile. "Alright, it is. Tell me what I can do to make it up to you."

"Don't do it again," she whispered.

In a flash, Robin arms were wrapped around her neck, pulling her close. Her arms wrapped around his waist, holding him against her. He smelled just as she remembered, felt exactly the same - her Robin. His Marian.

Outside, Will's watch beeped. Twenty minutes were up.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: OK,here's the last chapter. Sorry it's taken so long, but I've been stupidly busy. This chapter is_ nothing _like I want it to be, but I thought I should post it and get it over with anyway. Lyrics are by The Veronicas.Enjoy, andlet me know what you think!_

Loud music blared from the stereo, thumping in the chest of everyone in the house. The lights were heavily dimmed, food and – no doubt by now – spiked punch set out tables in the living room. The room was filled with people dancing, laughing and mingling. Much and the Gang had done a brilliant job at decorating his house, and this time they even remembered to put anything fragile away in the bedrooms upstairs, which were off limits. No that anyone paid attention to that rule.

Will and Saffi were slow dancing in the middle of the room, completely oblivious to everyone around them, in a world of their own where only the two of themexisted. He had his hands on her hips, swaying to the beat. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, their forehead pressed together.

John and Alice by the refreshments and looking like they were thinking about dancing. Neither one of them looked that enthusiastic over the idea.

Robin was thoroughly enjoying his party, laughing with Marian and feeding her little bits of chocolate cake like the love sick teenagers they were. Anna and Allan had made him wear the 'birthday hat', which was basically a huge, pink and fluffy Mexican sombrero that he had to wear for the whole night.

Anna and Allan themselves were huddled in a corner, his head on her shoulder. He'd left the hospital a while ago and was supposed to be in bed, but insisted on coming to the party. Anna had her arm wrapped around his shoulder, stroking his hair, enjoying the feeling of his silky strands against her cheek.

Eve was dancing in perfect time and rhythm to the music. Much wasn't. It wasn't his nerves – well, it wasn't _just_ his nerves – he just couldn't dance. She didn't seem to mind though. In fact, she was smiling from ear to ear. Robin and the Gang had all started dancing in a group, but everyone soon spread out, leaving the two of them together.

"You're-you're a really good dancer," he stuttered, clearing his throat. 

"Thanks," she said, a slight blush appearing on her face.

Watching from the side, Allan reached over and switched the song on the stereo. The music changed form fast and jumpy to slow and steady. Robin caught eyes with Allan and smiled, nodding. He took Marian's hand and led her to the floor. Whilst he was walking he gave Much a sharp push. He tried to catch his footing, but Eve placed her hands on his chest to steady him.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his face feeling as if it were on fire. He shot Robin a look over her shoulder that would have melted steel had there been any in sight.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked, not sure where to go from there.

"You w-want to dance? With _me_?" his voice portrayed his shock.

She just grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wasn't that much taller than she was. Trying to ignore his thumping heart, he mirrored Robin and Marian's pose by resting his hands lightly on her hips. They began to sway to the beat; he was glad he didn't have to do much leading.

Annabelle leaned over and changed the song once more to 'Take Me On the Floor' by The Veronicas. She sniggered as the lyrics began to play. Sometimes it was just too easy to tease Much. It wouldn't be long his face would be a permanent shade of red.

_The lights are out and I barely know you  
We're going up and the place is slowing down  
I knew you'd come around  
You captivated me, something about you's got me  
I was lonely now you make me feel alive  
Will you be mine tonight_

Eve stood on her toes to meet him at eye level. Since he obviously wasn't going to make the first move, she took matters into her own hands. Besides, everyone hooked up with someone at party's, even if just for a night, although she hoped that wouldn't be the case.He was embarrassed to mentally admit that it was his first kiss. He closed his eyes and kissed her back with as much enthusiasm as he could without seeming too eager, trying toremember what he hadseen on TV.

"What was that?" he asked, slightly breathless once they had pulled back.

"A kiss, Much," she teased, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "…So now what?"

He was suddenly feeling nervous again. This was Robin or Allan's field of expertise. "You kissed me, I was hoping you'd know," but before he knew what he was doing his hand was in her hair and his mouth was on hers. Sparks flew through him from the tips of his hair to the ends of his toes and he pulled her closer to him. 

Robin grinned, finally satisfied with his best friend's actions. He took Marian's hand and walked over to where his friends were at the side, birthday sombrero hat and all. He wrapped one arm around Marian, the other around Anna. For the first time, he felt as if it were truly good to be back.

_I'd like to thank everyone who has stuck with this fic, and Lady Clark for suggesting the challenge. And, just in case you were randomly wondering, my friends and I have a birthday hat just like the one mentioned._

_Zebbie_


End file.
